The Story of the 2012 Olympic Medal

“The Olympic medals’ circular form is a metaphor for the world. The front of the medal always depicts the same imagery at the Summer Games – the Greek Goddess of Victory, Nike, stepping out of the depiction of the Parthenon to arrive in the Host City.

The design for the reverse features five symbolic element.

The curved background implies a bowl similar to the design of an amphitheater.

The core emblem is an architectural expression, a metaphor for the modern city, and is deliberately jewel-like.

The grid suggests both a pulling together and a sense of outreach – an image of radiating energy that represents the athletes’ efforts.

The River Thames in the background is a symbol for London and also suggests a fluttering baroque ribbon, adding a sense of celebration.

The square is the final balancing motif of the design, opposing the overall circularity of the design, emphasizing its focus on the center and reinforcing the sense of ‘place’ as in a map inset.”

We used some of these elements for inspiration for our homemade kids’ Olympic medals. Don’t forget to make a way to hang the medal on a ribbon or string. It’s important for safety reasons to bake clay according to package instructions. (Also, it’s good practice to always ventilate your area well when crafting.)

About the author

Cindy Hopper was fortunate to be raised in a family who appreciated the arts. This background led to a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education. With a keen eye for design and color, Cindy has continued her love of art and is now passing her creative skills on to her three children. Cindy's family and friends are the beneficiaries of her passion for fun and meaningful creative projects.

Cindy's personal blog, Skip to My Lou, has taken her love of a project to new levels. Postings keep the family busy -– from testing new recipes for holiday treats to designing and building floats for a neighborhood parade to making fabric rolls to hold crayons to creating themed parties. Cindy seems to have an unending supply of ideas for gifts, parties and rainy days.

[…] easy craft is the perfect way to end your Olympic day. We love this make-your-own medal idea from Alpha Mom or you can go the simple route with some ribbon, cardboard circles and metallic paint. Photo […]

[…] easy craft is the perfect way to end your Olympic day. We love this make-your-own medal idea from Alpha Mom or you can go the simple route with some ribbon, cardboard circles and metallic paint. Photo […]

[…] easy craft is the perfect way to end your Olympic day. We love this make-your-own medal idea from Alpha Mom or you can go the simple route with some ribbon, cardboard circles and metallic paint. Photo […]

[…] easy craft is the perfect way to end your Olympic day. We love this make-your-own medal idea from Alpha Mom or you can go the simple route with some ribbon, cardboard circles and metallic paint. Photo […]

[…] easy craft is the perfect way to end your Olympic day. We love this make-your-own medal idea from Alpha Mom or you can go the simple route with some ribbon, cardboard circles and metallic paint. Photo […]

[…] Everyone can get a gold when the create their own! The 2012 medals have a abstract design with lots of straight lines that are fun to re-create. You can find easy step-by-step instructions that Cindy from Skip to My Lou created on Alpha mom. […]

[…] Everyone can get a gold when the create their own! The 2012 medals have a abstract design with lots of straight lines that are fun to re-create. You can find easy step-by-step instructions that Cindy from Skip to My Lou created on Alpha mom. […]

[…] this into a drinking game instead of Bingo.) The first person to hit Bingo gets the evening’s gold medal (if you’re not feeling crafty, you can buy these at the dollar store or maybe even Goodwill) […]

About the author

Cindy Hopper was fortunate to be raised in a family who appreciated the arts. This background led to a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education. With a keen eye for design and color, Cindy has continued her love of art and is now passing her creative skills on to her three children. Cindy's family and friends are the beneficiaries of her passion for fun and meaningful creative projects.

Cindy's personal blog, Skip to My Lou, has taken her love of a project to new levels. Postings keep the family busy -– from testing new recipes for holiday treats to designing and building floats for a neighborhood parade to making fabric rolls to hold crayons to creating themed parties. Cindy seems to have an unending supply of ideas for gifts, parties and rainy days.